President Naoshi Sugiyama led a Nagoya University delegation to Egypt from February 14–18, establishing Nagoya University’s first alumni branch on the African continent and strengthening academic ties with two of the country’s universities.
On February 15, the Nagoya University Alumni Association Egypt Branch was formally inaugurated at Tanta University. The Nagoya University Alumni Association (NUAL) was established in October 2002. It has five branches in Japan and 17 branches overseas. The Egypt Branch is the 18th overseas branch in the university’s global alumni network and the first in Africa or the Middle East. President Sugiyama personally presented the branch flag and certificate of recognition to Branch Chairperson Salah Salman, a professor at Al-Azhar University’s Faculty of Engineering. The founding meeting was attended by 50 participants, including alumni, members of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), and representatives from Tanta University.
The Egypt branch serves several key purposes. First, it aims to foster friendship and networking among members, Egyptian researchers, and fellow NUAL branches. It also supports activities that strengthen educational, research, cultural, and social ties between Japan and Egypt. Finally, it seeks to raise Nagoya University’s profile among Egyptian students and researchers as a leading destination for study and research.
While in Egypt, the delegation also met with senior leadership at both Tanta University and Cairo University. The delegation concluded the visit with meetings with His Excellency Ambassador Iwai Fumio, the Japanese Ambassador to Egypt, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) country office. Both meetings focused on Japan’s and Nagoya University’s broad engagement with Egypt in education, cultural heritage, and infrastructure development. President Sugiyama highlighted Nagoya University’s comprehensive partnership agreement with JICA, renewed in 2025, as a key vehicle for deepening bilateral collaboration.
